Pekoe Trail Stage 22

Kandapola to Pedro Estate (Nuwara Eliya)

Basic stats

6.7 mi/10.8 km

Elevation gain: 1132 ft/345 m

Elevation loss: 1243 ft/379 m

Highest elevation: 6929 ft/2112 m

Wikiloc difficulty rating: easy

Trail navigation info

GPS route and trail description on Wikiloc:

https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/the-pekoe-trail-stage-22-kandapola-to-pedro-estate-114914709

Please see the full description of the trail on Wikiloc for information on the route. We had no issues following the trail using GPS navigation (download the free Wikiloc app and mark at the bottom of the page to make the map and info available offline, or download it in another mapping app such as AllTrails).

While the route description on Wikiloc is really thorough, we would definitely recommend using GPS navigation to make sure you don't take a wrong turn! Since the trail isn't officially open yet, it is still largely unsigned (though there are a few arrows painted at some junctions on the last third of the trail). Also note that if you are using the Google Maps GPX instead of Wikiloc or AllTrails or the like, the Google Maps route for stage 22 is completely different than the official Wikiloc/AllTrails route. They start and end in the same place but take a different path for the whole middle section, so do with that information what you will.

Some new-looking trail markers.

Additional trail description/editorializing

The final stage starts out going through the outskirts of Kandapola (think cute small homes and farms, with people walking to work and the occasional tuktuk) and then up into the tea estate for a quintessential final Pekoe Trail day surrounded by tea. Very pretty. It's mostly uphill the first half and downhill the second half, but never steep or super strenuous. The trail was primarily tea estate dirt roads. We hiked it on a cloudy day after a couple days of hard rain and did not encounter any leeches (yay!) or much in the way of puddles. There were way more tea workers here than in the tea estates on stages 16–18, but everyone was equally friendly.

The trail ends at Pedro Estate, which supposedly has a good tea factory tour if you're interested. The Google Maps Pekoe Trail GPX has a suggested route that gets you all the way back to Nuwara Eliya, but we had rain rolling in so we opted for a tuktuk ride back. There were multiple drivers sitting right across the street from the end of the trail and there is also a bus stop right nearby if you time it right or don't mind waiting around. The ride back was quick and easy (less than 15 minutes) and I think cost us less than 1000 LKR (but I don't remember exactly, sorry).

Typical stage 22 view and trail.

NON-TRAIL INFO

Before you start

You'll start your day in Kandapola. Due to a couple days of hard rain and a tight schedule, we took a bus from Ettampitiya (end of stage 18) to Nuwara Eliya and skipped hiking stages 19–21. We also weren't totally confident about finding accommodations at the end of stage 20, since the accommodations being built using Pekoe Trail-related grants aren't necessarily completed at this point.

So instead of starting in Kandapola, we actually started in Nuwara Eliya and took a tuktuk the 30–40 min or so to the trailhead. We just asked to go to Kandapola and the driver took us right to the center of town, which is where the stage starts. We paid 3000 LKR ($8.50) which was probably too much but oh well.

If you want to stay in Kandapola, there is a fancy converted tea factory hotel called Heritance Tea Factory 4 km from the start of stage 22 that looks nice and is expensive but more reasonable than some other estates-turned-hotels in the area (think $150/night versus $600) if you want to break up the trek with a luxury stay. There appear to be a few simpler accommodations not too far from the start based on Google Maps, but be mindful of places labeled as a hotel that might actually be a simple local restaurant (called hotels in Sri Lanka) or tea estate warden bungalow.

One place I found on Google just off the trail less than 10 min or so into stage 22 is called Chameera's Place, but I'm not sure if it's actually a place to stay. There didn't appear to be a sign outside but when I got kind of close, a woman came out and tried to call me over so she may have been offering a place to stay. Since we weren't actually going to stay there, I got awkward and waved and walked away, so no conclusive intel there, sorry! But worth checking out since it's the closest potential option to the trail.

What I think is Chameera's Place, whatever it might be, is the tan house in the background on the left. Follow Google Maps to get there from the trail.

Food along the way

There was one farming/tea estate village near the high point of the trek to grab a quick snack from. Otherwise, there are a few bakeries and small local eateries in Kandapola, a couple of snack options at the end where the tuktuks hang out, and then an array of restaurants and supermarkets in Nuwara Eliya.

Accommodations

There are tons of accommodations at all price points in Nuwara Eliya, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding something good even if you don't book until the last minute. I should note that tourism numbers are still really low as of March 2023, so availability could change in the future.

We stayed at Madalin Lake Gregory and it was truly lovely. We wanted to be by Lake Gregory rather than in the middle of town and it fit the bill perfectly. Beautiful and extremely comfortable room and bed, a great view, and even a surprise private living room area. The owners were great, the food they served was delicious (reasonably priced Sri Lankan food cooked to order and delivered to your room), and the proximity to the lake was fantastic. It was also still walking distance to town (though there isn't a ton to do there).

Our Mandalin Gregory Lake double room with balcony.

Other amenities in Nuwara Eliya

There are multiple supermarkets, an array of restaurants (including tasty pizza at Salmiya Italian Restaurant near Gregory Lake), ATMs for all the major banks, pharmacies, and a couple bars in town.